UCCI PRESIDENT NAMED PRINCIPAL FELLOW

Advance Higher Education (Advance HE) has named the University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI) President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Robert W. Robertson as a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Advance HE is a United Kingdom based professional association with more than 40,000 members working with partners across the globe to improve education for faculty, staff, students, and society. The Principal Fellowship is awarded to individuals who demonstrate a sustained record of effectiveness in strategic leadership of high-quality learning and can show that the leadership has had extensive impact. The recognition was based, in part, on the innovations introduced by Dr. Robertson in the Caribbean including the introduction of certified technical and vocational training; initiating, and leading a national digital literacy project with industry certifications; promoting the use of evidence- based management to identify and address national and regional skills gaps; and developing and delivering a program to provide workforce ready skills within a prison system.   

On a broader level, the Principal Fellow designation recognizes the body of work of the recipient. In that regard, Dr. Robertson currently holds a Senior Research Fellowship with the Commonwealth Institute, School of Advanced Studies, University of London. He previously served as the first President of the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (2016-2022) and he has more than twenty five years of experience leading award-winning academic institutions.

He holds graduate degrees from Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom including a Doctorate in Philosophy, Management and Organization (University of Stirling, Scotland); Master of Studies in Law (Vermont Law and Graduate School); Master of Public Administration (Dalhousie University); Master of Arts (Eastern Kentucky University); Post Graduate Diploma, Global Business (University of London); Post Graduate Certificate, Conflict Resolution (Queen Margaret University); Graduate Diploma, International Development (London School of Economics and Political Science); and Bachelor of Science (East Tennessee State University). In addition, he has completed a Certificate in Strategy and Innovation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Certificate in Negotiation (Harvard University). 

In 2011, he received an Award of Excellence as an Online Administrator from Pearson, in 2016, he was named a Fulbright Specialist by the U.S. Department of State, and an Honorary Business Chair and Professor at Nan Jeon University of Science and Technology in Taiwan. In 2023 he was named an International Scholar by Global Affairs Canada. He has served as a Visiting Professor (2006-2020) at the Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia and taught in Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Slovenia, Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean.

He is a Paul Harris Fellow with the Grand Cayman Rotary Sunrise Club committed to community service.

Dr. Robert Robertson noted “I am honoured to receive this prestigious recognition. During my career, I have been fortunate to work with dedicated teams of individuals and with organizations committed to assisting students reach their personal and professional goals and I am thrilled to have been given this designation by such a renowned organization.”